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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, April 28, 2006

Major leagues might play exhibitions here

 •  Warrior football to play rent-free

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A promoter has asked the Aloha Stadium Authority to consider hosting a pair of exhibition major-league baseball games between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians in 2007.

The Indiana-based promoter, Carl C. Taylor, proposed games for March 27 and 28.

The Stadium Authority has requested more information on the promoter's agreement with the two teams before taking it under consideration.

Acting Aloha Stadium manager Ken Lum said the promoter has been calling him "incessantly" in the last month to bring major-league baseball to Honolulu.

"I didn't give him any answer whatsoever," said Lum, who does not know Taylor, but said the Aloha Stadium staff has had contact with him before.

"We have to find out if this person is legitimate before anything else," Aloha Stadium Authority chairman Kevin Chong Kee said. "This is the first I've ever heard of it."

Taylor could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday.

Bart Swain, director of media relations for the Cleveland Indians, yesterday confirmed Honolulu is "under consideration" for hosting the team's exhibition games in 2007.

Swain said he knows of Taylor and his partners, Murray A. Goldstein and Craig S. Cozad.

"We have been contacted regarding some exhibition games at the end of spring training," Swain said. "We get numerous contacts about this from various cities and locations around the country for the end of spring training, and we're currently under consideration for several other cities including Honolulu for post-spring training 2007."

Swain said the Cleveland Indians could make a decision in the "next several months" on whether to play in Honolulu.

Kelly Munro, an assistant in baseball information for the Seattle Mariners, said she was not aware of the team considering exhibition games in Honolulu in March.

"That time of the year we're playing in Arizona for spring training," Munro said. "I've never heard of anything like that before."

Munro said she was not familiar with Taylor or his assistants.

The Aloha Stadium Authority is considering locking Aloha Stadium in permanent football configuration, but would delay the project for major-league baseball, Chong Kee said.

"If it is legitimate, and he wants to come here, I guess we can accommodate to move the stadium one more time," Chong Kee said.

In a faxed message to Lum, the promoter pitched "the chance to broadcast the games back to the team's market" and an opportunity to tie in potential sponsors into the trip. It also included a "financial guarantee of $200,000 for each game for each time," according to the message.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.